CrankyBuddhist   the learning never ends …

There are some basic tenets that all sects of Buddhism agree on and use as the base of their belief system.

The Five Precepts give us guidance on living day to day:

• No killing of any living being.
• No stealing.
• No sexual misconduct, that means no hurting others through our sexuality.
• No lying.
• No using alcohol or drugs that cause us to be careless or heedless.

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The Four Noble Truths summarize the teachings of the Buddha:

• The First Noble Truth of Suffering: As individuals we all suffer. Suffering is part of life and life has its share of crappy experiences – anxiety, stress, sickness, pain, loss or death of a friend or loved one, plague, and pestilence are just a few examples. We know that our own death can come at any moment. The planet also has its share of suffering, such as war, hunger, injustice, and environmental desecration. Pleasant and agreeable experiences are fleeting and limited at best.
• The Second Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering: The origin of suffering is craving, lust, desire, anger, jealousy, greed, anything that reminds us that we live in the Land of Lack or are insufficient as human beings. Three aspects of desire are the main culprits of this truth – the desire to have, the desire of attachment, and the desire to be rid of something.
• The Third Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering: Changing our mindset to see that our cravings and desires are nothing more than that. This is also the truth of contemplation, the one of asking ourselves the deep questions that will turn our thinking around.
• The Fourth Noble Truth is the Eightfold Path: The end of suffering and the way to happiness is via the Eightfold Path which contains these eight elements:
• Having the Right View
• Right Intention
• Right Speech
• Right Action
• Right Livelihood
• Right Effort
• Right Mindfulness
• Right Concentration

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The Law of Karma

In simple terms, karma can be called the Law of Cause and Effect. This law works the same way in the physical world as it does in the spiritual. How a person has acted in the past and the present, effects the quality of their life in the future. The quality of our future lives are the direct result of how we lived our lives in the past and how we are living them currently.

Instant Karma is a term that was made famous by John Lennon. Many Buddhist teachers and students think that this aspect of karma does not and could not exist. (I think that it can exist in the last few lifetimes of a very advanced soul, but who am I to say?)

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Dharma

Dharma is a word that means ‘the teachings of Buddha’. To go to a ‘Teaching’ or a Dharma Lesson is to study the teachings of Buddha in a group of people who are all there for the same purpose.

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Sangha

Studying the philosophy of Buddhism is a solitary thing, where each person has to come up with their own answers to their own questions. But there are basic teachings within Buddhism, and also group meditaiton practice, so a Sangha is a community of students who gather for the study of the Buddhist teachings.

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Bodhisattva

In very simple terms, a bodhisattva is a person who has dedicated their life to relieving the suffering of others, and out of their own compassion, delays their own final and complete enlightenment in order to save all sentient beings. To enter into the life of a bodhisattva, one must generate generosity, ethics, patience/meditation, effort, concentration, and wisdom.

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Misconceptions about Buddhism

The Worship of Buddha: Buddha himself is not worshipped in the sense that Westerners think of the word worship. A better word for what buddhists feel for The Buddha could be defined by the word respect. The same kind of respect you would have for your favorite teacher.

Under the same concept, statues of the Buddha are not meant to be worshipped. They are only there as a reminder of the goal – the path to enlightenment. If you see someone bowing to a statue of The Buddha, you are watching a person who is in fact bowing to themselves, honoring the potential Buddha within themselves and recognizing that they themselves are on the path.

If you are Christian, Muslim, or Jew, you cannot be a Buddhist. This is so far from the truth! Buddhism is a way of life and the Buddhist philosophy blends easily into and enhances the spiritual path of other religions. Even the Dalai Lama advises not to give up your base religion should you decide to study Buddhism (unless of course, you want to). In the same vein, you do not have to be religious at all to study Buddhism. All you have to be is inquisitive. If you have any doubt, just read this page again and ask yourself if what is written here would interfere with what you already believe.

You have to be a Vegetarian to be a Buddhist. Not so. Many Buddhists, especially of the Tibetan variety do eat meat. It is up to the individual as to which thread of Buddhism they follow, which dietary concerns they have, and how they interpret the teachings.